We arrived at Split, Croatia at 7:00 am. After a shower and breakfast we left the ship to see what Split had to offer. Split (pronounced exactly as it looks) is the second-largest city of Croatia and the largest city of the region of Dalmatia.  It lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea, and is spread over a central peninsula. Split's greater area includes the neighboring seaside towns as well. Split is one of the oldest cities in the area. Split (Spalato in Italian) is supposed to be a great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s really lived.  Split has a unique setting. Its dramatic coastal mountains act as the perfect backdrop to the turquoise waters of the Adriatic and help divert attention from the dozens of shabby high-rise apartment blocks that fill its suburbs.

While traditionally considered just over 1,700 years old, counting from the construction of Diocletian's Palace (Diocletian's retirement palace) in 305 AD, the city was in fact founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos in the 4th century BC, about 2,400 years ago.  It was designed as a proper military camp of 8.4 acres, rectangular, with high walls and 4 gates (called Gold, Silver, Iron, and Bronze). The streets are right angled and there is a central square that had designated areas for soldiers, servants, craft shops, and warehouses. Aqueducts brought fresh water from the hills and a marina provided access to the sea. The complex housed his palace and mausoleum. Diocletian lived here until his death in 313.

Upon arrival in the city we strolled along Split’s alluring harborside promenade, Riva, where we appreciated Split’s medieval center tucked between the mountains and the sea. We made our way to Diocletian’s Palace (a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments).  This site abounds with dozens of bars, restaurants and shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split life has been humming along for thousands of years.  This "palace"  is more like a walled town and it has endured as the center of Split's cultural and political life even as the Byzantines, Croatian kings, Venetians, Austrians and Italians planted their flag on the great city. We entered through the Bronze Gate into cavernous basement cellar halls, admiring the grandeur of the vaults and cupolas. The palace was built as a residence for Emperor Diocletian and then used as a summer residence for him and succeeding Roman rulers before being abandoned. Locals began moving into the walled residence in the 7th century and it has been continuously occupied up until the present day.  We walked through the main hall and climbed the massive steps to the heart of the Palace, the Peristil (Peristyle), which is a rectangular open space (a square) that forms the centre of Diocletian’s Palace, and took in the the towering cathedral and an assortment of Roman monuments - the towering Cathedral of St. Dominus (built as Emperor Diocletian’s mausoleum) and the Protiron intended to "frame" Emperor Diocletian as he emerged from his private apartments through the Vestibule ready to receive the adoring masses. When we came out of the Cathedral of St Dominus (originally Diocletian's mausoleum, built in the 4th century). In the mausoleum there are a Christian saints entombed but Diocletian is nowhere to be found! We made our way to the Temple of Jupiter. Inside is a large 12th century baptismal font - large enough to immerse someone - decorated with the intricate, traditional Pleter design which is used around the border of Croatia's passport stamp. On the font there is an engraving of a bishop and a king on his throne. At their feet, literally under the feet of the bishop is a submissive commoner. This sums up the social structure of the Middle Ages. Standing above the font is a statue of St John the Baptist counting to four, done by the Greta Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. The half barrel ceiling is considered the best-preserved of its kind anywhere. Every face and each patterned box is different. From there we went to the Split outdoor market where the locals come to buy and sell their products from old clothes to homemade jam, wine or olive oil. We re-entered Diocletian’s Palace using the Silver Gate and kept going across town. We left the Palace through the Iron Gate and came to Narodni Trg (Peoples Square aka St Lawrence's Square, the Arms Square, Nobility Square), which was the center of medieval Split. The oldest buildings are on the eastern side (which abuts the western gate of Diocletian's Palace), most notably the 15th-century Romanesque Tower, and the City Clock was placed on it. Above the tower is the tower-bell, decorated in a late gothic style at the end of the 15th century.

We walked to Split’s indoor Fish Market housed in a handsome Secession-style building.  Then we had to see the Golden Gate, which was the main entry of Diocletian Palace. It's name wasn't literal, rather the "gold" is meant to suggest the importance of this gateway. Outside the gate is a HUGE statue by Ivan Mestrovic of Bishop Gregory of Nin, a 10th century Croatian priest who tried to convince the Vatican to allow sermons during Mass to be said in Croatian rather than Latin.

After fully exploring this area, we headed to the sea via the attractive pedestrian Marmontova, a wide boulevard of designer shops and jewelry stores. We went to the Riva again and walked all the way to the marina past the fishermans wharf. I wanted to climb the 819 stairs of Senjska street that ascend up forested Marjan Hill, often called the “lungs of Split” but both Vic and my legs and feet were not up to it. Plus, it started to rain and we didn't want to get caught too far from the ship.  I know excuses, excuses. We hear the view from the hill of Marjan is astonishing. You can see the panorama of the entire city. I guess we'll just have to return one day.

Then it was a quick walk back to the ship to grab lunch before the ship leaves at 4:00.

We attended the Captains Welcome Aboard Champagne Waterfall Party before dinner and met some more people. We,also, met our friends Dom & Anna, from San Francisco, who we helped get tickets for the people mover in Venice. They are our new best friends it seems. It's amazing what about $2 will do!!

We booked the Italian specialty restaurant for dinner tonight. We were treated like royalty and the food was delicious. I must say that cruisers are treated very well. The staff goes out of their way to make you happy and feel important.

Tomorrow we arrive at Kotor, Montenegro.